


Slack

by Cesare



Category: Actor RPF, American Actor RPF, Sherlock Holmes (2009) RPF
Genre: Corsetry, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-09
Updated: 2010-01-09
Packaged: 2017-10-06 00:48:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cesare/pseuds/Cesare





	Slack

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kanata (kyuuketsukirui)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyuuketsukirui/gifts).



"Honestly," says Jude. "Can't two men just be friends these days without everyone reading homoerotic subtext into it?"

"Hold still," Robert says, "this is tricky."

"I mean, yeah, so we're two single lads who go out together," Jude carries on. "We're not going _home_ together, are we. And that's rather the crucial bit."

"I think," Robert says, "I'm going to need more light," and he crosses the room to turn the other lamp on. "Turn left a little."

Jude turns left a little. "Exactly how many sex scandals does a man have to be involved in to secure his heterosexual bona fides?"

"No no no no no, I wouldn't use that one," says Robert, returning. "Your agent's going to come after you if you use that one."

"True," Jude replies with a hint of gloom.

"All right, I think we're set. You could hold onto the bedpost there, that's traditional, isn't it?"

"Just pull," Jude says, settling his shoulders back. "Maybe I ought to be seen with Sienna agai-- _Bob!"_

"Bob's my dad," says Robert, "Bob's your uncle; I'm not Bob, c'mon."

"I'll call you whatever you want," Jude says, strained, grabbing for the bedpost after all, "but for god's sake fix the,"

"I'm doing it, I'm doing it," Robert chants, "I think I've figured it out; I can't exactly ask anyone how to put it on right, you know, I can't even use the internet. I'm pretty sure my agent's got spy software on all my stuff. She's always pissier with me after I send nasty emails about her to Susan."

"Try working your way down," says Jude. "Don't just yank at the ends and hope it works out."

"Is that a metaphor?" Robert begins working on the laces from the top, pulling one X tighter, then tugging the slack out of the next ladder, and the next, all the way down Jude's back. "Okay, I'm not tying it yet but I'll hold it in place. Breathe deep."

Jude inhales, and since his diaphragm can't expand outward, his whole upper body lifts to make room for it, a few ligaments popping along his spine. "Oh."

"Yeah, I think we finally got it right." Robert ties off the knot and trails his fingers along the tight lacing down the back of the corset. "Wow. Everything feel all right? You light-headed at all?"

"Only a little," says Jude. "Enough to like it." He turns around.

"Now that," Robert says, "is something." He feels down the stiff construction fronting the corset, spanning his hands around the arc it's made of Jude's waist. "Gotta love period pieces," he says, flipping open the button of Jude's trousers. "Lean back a little."

"It's just," Jude says, half-sitting against the foot of the high old-fashioned bed, "that we work closely together. It's a partnership, like our characters. We joke about it, but it's all in fun. After all, no one seriously thinks Holmes and Watson were up to anything."

"Two men who live together and like to sleep in the same bed and wrestle a lot," Robert agrees, kneeling on the plush rug and easing Jude's zipper down. "Where _do_ people get these crazy ideas," and he sighs and leans hungrily in as Jude's hand sinks into his hair.


End file.
